


across the seas and beyond

by spaghetti crest (FuzzyPurplePenguins)



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Actual Professor Byleth Thank You Very Much Seteth, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Byleth Has a Family, Byleth has emotions, Dagda is Ylisse, F/M, Female Byleth, Get ready for a rollercoaster, Not Spoiling The Route Til We Get There, Other, Shenanigans, This is Going to Be Half Wholesome and Half War So, Three Houses Novelization, sarcastic byleth
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-15 18:34:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28693293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FuzzyPurplePenguins/pseuds/spaghetti%20crest
Summary: Jeralt’s Mercenaries have always been a rowdy, mismatched bunch; Byleth’s fond of three in particular who stand out among the misfits, who have truly become family after seven years.or: three houses but with lon’qu, gaius, and panne as members of jeralt’s mercenaries and byleth’s aunt and uncles.
Relationships: Guire | Gaius & Lon'qu & Velvet | Panne, Guire | Gaius & My Unit | Byleth, Jeralt Reus Eisner & My Unit | Byleth, Lon'qu & My Unit | Byleth, Lon'qu/Velvet | Panne, My Unit | Byleth & Sothis, Velvet | Panne & My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 8
Kudos: 47





	1. prologue: the odd family

**Author's Note:**

> I had a dream Dagda was Ylisse and 5k words + and counting I finally decided to post the prologue.
> 
> This is essentially a test chapter; it takes place before the story of Three Houses, sets up Byleth's relationships with Gaius, Panne, & Lon'qu, and the content probably counts as filler. The purpose of posting this prologue is to gauge your interest; if you want to see more, say so! If not I'll probably scrap the whole thing.
> 
> If you're wondering why these three Awakening characters in particular, that's easy: they're my favorites. We'll find out more about their motivations and why they left Ylisse/Dagda as the story continues.
> 
> Please expect character personalities to vary slightly from "canon", for quite a number of our cast I have made some background changes. But not too much, hopefully! Everyone should still be who we know and love at their core. (That being said, big Byleth changes, because I did not like the way Three Houses approached Byleth's "personality")
> 
> I hope you all enjoy.

“Byleth...please help.”

The scene Byleth Eisner has come upon after exiting Remire Village’s smithy is an entertaining one. Seeing Lon’qu Ferox, fiercesome swordmaster and one of the most gifted members of Jeralt’s Mercenaries, near-frozen in terror, is always amusing. Byleth tamps down on the urge to smile and crouches down, smiling at the young villager girl who’s currently got a grasp on Lon’qu’s trousers.

“What’s your name?” She asks. Lon’qu makes a noise above her, flinching slightly.

The girl stares. Remnants of chocolate frosting are spread on her chin. “Regina.”

“Hi, Regina. I’m Byleth. Do you live in Remire?”

Regina nods, leaning against Lon’qu’s leg. He makes a wounded noise.

“How about I take you home to your parents?” She offers, holding out her arms. “My friend here has a really important task he needs to get to.”

Regina blinks at her, but lets go of his trousers and toddles towards her. Byleth gives her a big smile and scoops her up in her arms, unable to stop herself from smirking at Lon’qu, who glowers at her before stalking off, disappearing behind a house.

Byleth shakes her head. “Okay Regina, let’s get you home.”

* * *

“I heard you rescued my husband from a six-year old girl.”

Panne Ferox is definitely the most unique member of Jeralt’s Mercenaries. When she’s not walking around barefoot in next to no clothes (even when they travel to Faerghus), she’s either slinging around a sword or literally turning into a giant rabbit (“of death”). There’s legends aplenty across the continent of shapeshifters, humanoids who use special stones to shift into animals, but none of the mercenaries, or even Byleth’s dad, had ever met one until Panne had shown up.

All that mattered to Jeralt was that Panne had an able hand and knew how to fight and fight well. It didn’t matter to any merc under their banner that she did so as a giant rabbit.

“I came across him frozen in fear with Regina Mirren clinging to his trousers,” Byleth says as she closes the front door to one of the houses they’re renting while in Remire. “That’s at least the twentieth time since you guys have joined us.”

“And there will be at least a hundred more!” comes a voice from the small living room-area to Byleth’s left.

Gaius Baker, the final third of the mismatched trio that had left Dagda and joined their mercenary band. The trickster’s spread out across the sole couch in the living area, the stick of a lollipop hanging between lips that are curled up into a smirk pointed at Byleth. 

Gaius is truly a trickster through and through; he wields his laid-back attitude like a weapon, hordes sweets like he needs them to live, and is known for giving the most terrifyingly carefree “if you hurt yourself again we’re gonna have a problem” lectures even while he’s healing you.

“...even if that’s true, you don’t have to point it out Gaius,” Panne says, glancing upwards at the ceiling. “Anyways, I just wanted to say thank you, Byleth, for saving him from himself.”

“No problem,” Byleth grins back at Gaius, taking off her coat and hanging it on a hook. “Dad back yet?” She asks, ignoring the trickster and turning her attention back to Panne.

“No,” The taguel shakes her head, her ears swinging back and forth. “My husband-“ She sighs. “-joined him for the last evening patrol. Jeralt asked me to tell you to sleep early, since we’re leaving for Faerghus in the morn.”

“At the ass crack of dawn, more like,” Gaius says from the couch. “Want a sucker, Leth?”

“Don’t make her ruin her dinner,” Panne turns a fierce gaze on him.

“Goddess, Panne, you’re such a mom.”

There’s something in the way he says it that catches Byleth’s attention. She can’t help but cock her head as Panne frowns at him, and then turns her back to the trickster, ears flicking as she disappears into the kitchen.

Even after nearly seven years, Byleth still doesn’t know all the little nuances of the Dagdan trio’s relationships. She finds them so fascinating - they’d always been unafraid of her, had helped her dad reach in and crack her Ashen Demon exterior to pull out the real Byleth. Somewhere along the way, they had become family, like an aunt and uncles she’d never had.

Her dad, for all his good natured grumbling, thought fondly of them too. Gaius had told her that he had thanked them for helping her come out of her emotionless shell, wiggling his eyebrows at her as they baked a chocolate cake at three in the morning.

It was things like that that made them family - sure, they had all helped her in combat training, like her dad and the rest of the mercs. Lon’qu taught her how to push her swordsmanship to the limits (and taught her the basics of the bow - “I occasionally used one, back in Dagda”), Panne taught her everything there was to know about tracking, and Gaius had helped her unlock the well of white magic deep within her, but they did more than that.

Gaius taught her to bake and Lon’qu to cook (Jeralt burnt water anytime he was let near a kitchen). Gaius told her elaborate stories from around the world while teaching her to pick a pocket. Panne, for all her solemnity, was an older female figure in her life to turn to when she couldn’t talk to her dad. Lon’qu, despite his gynophobia, had made an effort to get to know her and overcome his fear when they first joined up. 

It’s all those little things that made up the weird mish-mash family they’d created, and Byleth loves it more than she can put into words.

“Come eat while it’s still hot!” Panne yells from the kitchen. Byleth unstraps her sword from her belt, kicks her boots off, and runs into the kitchen, mouth nearly watering.

“You didn’t make some all greens shit, did you, rabbit?” Gaius says and Panne glares at him.

“You could do with some greens in your diet, Baker-“ She says back and all Byleth can do is smile, warmth filling up her heart.


	2. the girl on the throne

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Inevitable Bandits (and Gaius being the fun-loving uncle he is).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Thank you so much for the kudos. I'm glad some people seemed to enjoy the fic as it is so far. From now on, chapters will be updated every Thursday! 
> 
> When I first started thinking about this story, I thought 1k chapters (which are my norm) would work well. Well...the first chapter of this fic is nearly 2k, the second's 1.5k, and the third chapter (which is almost finished!), is approaching 2k again. So. It seems there's going to be a pattern with this story.
> 
> I'm not the best at writing fight scenes, but I enjoy the challenge of it, so I apologize if the Remire fight seems a little choppy - I did my best while trying to incorporate game dynamics into narration points! Hopefully you all like it.
> 
> Speaking of, now that we're properly at the start of the Three Houses storyline: I included as much story dialogue as I could remember, but I did also change a lot of things and leave quite a bit of the starting portion of the game out (for Character Reasons that we'll touch on as we continue), so if you see something you recognize (or don't...) that's why. I've think I've got most of the first two chapters' worth of dialogue practically memorized, I really have played this game too much.
> 
> The start of me trying to fit in as many FE series easter eggs without being too obnoxious about it has begun; have fun spotting them~
> 
> Enjoy, everyone.

“Hey, kid, time to get up.”

Byleth groans in protest, even as her eyes are cracking open. Her head hurts like she’s been sparring with Lon’qu, her thoughts swimming as she tries to recall what had put her so out of sorts.

It takes her a second to recall the dreams she’d had, the massive battle, two armies engaging in brutal conflict; and a green-haired girl on a throne who had been most inquisitive about Byleth.

“‘M up,” She says, throwing an arm over her eyes even as she sits up, feet swinging off the bed. “‘s too early, dad.”

“Good grief,” Jeralt says, although there’s a fond hint in his stern visage. “Did you forget? We have a job in Faerghus. It’s a long ways away, so we’ve got to get moving, kid.”

Her head throbs. Byleth groans and stands up, white magic gathering at her fingertips as she does her best to soothe her headache. “Sorry dad,” She murmurs. “Didn’t sleep well.”

Jeralt’s whole face softens. “Did you have one of the dreams again?”

“Both of them.”

“Two massive armies, clashing on a field...there hasn’t been a war like that in centuries. And the girl? Never heard of anyone like her before.” Jeralt’s hand lands on her shoulder and squeezes slightly. “I’ll let you ride with Clife in his wagon; we don’t need you nursing a migraine during our job.”

Byleth smiles weakly at him from beneath her arm. “Thanks, dad-“

It’s at that moment the door to the room slams open. Another pulse of pain echoes through her temples and Byleth tries to hammer it back down with white magic and pure willpower.

“Captain Jeralt!” Kyle, one of their newer recruits, is standing in the doorway, panting for breath and his eyes wide. “We’ve got trouble!”

“Dammit,” Jeralt whirls around. “Report properly,  _ now _ .”

Kyle swallows. “Bandits, captain-they’re surrounding the town! Chasing after three kids. Kids got here first an’ asked for our help.”

“Get your sword, kid, and meet me outside,” Jeralt tells her, and strides to the door; Kyle practically throws himself out of her dad’s way.

_ Just our luck _ , Byleth thinks to herself, and grabs her scabbard, bow, and quiver where they hang on the wall, strapping her sword onto her belt and swinging the bow and quiver over her shoulder.

The entirety of their mercenary band is already swarming around the three entrances to the village when Byleth steps out. Her dad and his mount, Cain, are standing near the main entrance. Jeralt’s talking to three figures - the kids being pursued by the bandits, no doubt - as she strides up next to them.

“They’re after our lives, not to mention our gold,” The brunet in yellow is saying as Byleth stops by her father’s side.

“Please,” The blond in blue beseeches them, eyes wide. “We are in dire need of your help.”

“Those uniforms…” Jeralt mutters under his breath, and then looks to Byleth. She stares back at him. “I’ve split our forces to cover all the weak points,” He tells her. “Our guests here; I’m assigning you to their protection. Brats, consider my daughter your commanding officer for this battle; her word is law.”

The three nod, although the white-haired girl in red looks a little peeved at the notion, or maybe just because Byleth’s dad called her a brat.

“Gaius will join you,” Jeralt continues, addressing Byleth again.

“Right here, boss man,” The trickster appears out of thin air, as he is wont to do; Byleth catches the girl in red flinching ever so slightly out of the corner of her eye. His magic sword is hanging off his belt and his staves are strapped to his back. “No worries; I’ll keep them all topped up and on their feet.”

Byleth can’t help but smile before she turns her eyes to the horizon. “Dad-“

“I see them,” Jeralt grabs Cain’s reins and swiftly and deftly saddles up. “LOOK LIVELY,” He shouts, and there are echoing, answering calls from all their fellow mercenaries across the town.

Byleth pulls her sword free. “Stay close to me,” She tells her charges. “You’re all armed? Seen combat before?”

“Yes,” The blond one says, holding his lance firmly in gloved hands.

“I have as well,” The brunet says, pulling his bow off his back, and the white haired girl simply nods as she hefts her axe.

“Good. I’m Byleth; this here is Gaius.” Her uncle waves at them. “What are your names?”

“Dimitri,” The lancer says, eyes dark as he gazes at the approaching bandits.

“Claude,” The archer says, giving her a playful salute.

“I am Edelgard,” She says, nodding at Byleth before turning her attention to their enemies.

Dimitri, Claude, Edelgard. Byleth quickly memorizes who’s who before stepping between them and outside the gates.

“Claude, stay behind me and take shots where you can. Dimitri, Edelgard, team up to fight those who come across you; don’t get separated if you value your life. Be careful,” She says, and strides forward to meet their opposition.

These bandits are weak; nothing she and Gaius couldn’t handle by themselves, but with less-trained kids in their care, Byleth has to be more careful herself.

Keeping one eye on Dimitri and Edelgard, Byleth sweeps her sword forward in a perfect execution of Wrath Strike, cleaving a wound straight up through the bandit’s torso as he falls to the ground, dying. Two arrows swoop past her in quick succession, hitting the next charging bandit; Byleth adjusts her grip on her sword and knocks the bandit out with a nasty blow to the temple.

The white-green of Gaius’ magic catches her attention; she can see him to her left, lollipop in his mouth, lightly tapping the top of Edelgard’s head with his Heal Staff as his magic works its way through her body. Byleth catches sight of a brief shocked look on the girl’s face before it shutters back into determination, the axe wielder nodding at her uncle in thanks.

“Never seen Faith magic like that,” Claude’s voice says, carefully stripped of any curiosity.

“Gaius is unique,” She clicks her tongue as another group of three sword-wielding bandits come charging at them. “Soften ‘em up for me?”

Claude grins, his green eyes glinting, and raises his bow; one, two, three arrows fly true from it. Byleth darts forward, dodging out of the way of a clumsy swipe at her, and brings her sword down with a mighty cry; her opponent crumples to the ground, dead.

Another arrow flies by her face as she swivels around, face set as she cleaves another ugly wound up the next bandit’s torso; the third of her opponents raises his sword but Byleth is faster, running her sword through his body and then pulling it loose, turning her head away as the life leaves his eyes.

“You ok, Leth?” Gaius’ staff bonks her gently on the head and that cool mint-and-rain feeling sweeps through her body. “Not many left now.”

There’s not; just two sword wielders and one axe user. Byleth motions at Dimitri and Edelgard, and waits for them to flit to her side.

“Pincer attack,” She tells them. Dimitri looks like he’s not taken a single blow, so she points to him. “Dimitri, grab their attention from the front. Edelgard, you and I will swoop in from the sides. Claude, give us some cover?”

Her charges nod at her, and they sweep forward to meet the last few enemies.

* * *

Later, Byleth will admit to herself that she made a mistake, not making sure the bandit leader was unconscious or - preferably - dead. Now, however, she’s suddenly back in that throne room, everything as green as far as her eye can see, and that girl with green hair and pointed ears staring down at her.

“Honestly!” The girl says. “What were you trying to accomplish with that little stunt? Are you  _ trying _ to get yourself killed? Does your life truly mean that little to you, that you would rush forward to meet death with so little resistance?”

Byleth blinks at the deluge of questions, and then shakes her head. “No, I- I’m sorry. Did you save me?”

“Yes,” The girl sits back in the throne, head held high. “I have frozen time….and thus you are not dead.”

“Then thank you,” Byleth says, a shiver going down her spine as she bows.

“There! Is a little gratitude so much to ask for?” The girl preens, pushing hair back from her face. “I  _ did _ deem you worthy of saving, after all, and I managed to halt the water’s flow of time itself...although I do wonder however I managed that…well, no matter. The question is, what to do now? We cannot stay here forever.”

Silence falls across the great room as they both stare at each other. Byleth wets her lips and then opens her mouth.

“If you can stop time, can you reverse it?”

“Reverse...yes, yes!” A glint appears in her green eyes as she sits up straighter, hands slashing through the air. A golden, runic magic circle appears in front of her, pulsing with power. “I do believe it can be done! I will not be able to send you  _ too _ far back, but! ‘Tis clever solution for a clever companion. Off you go, then!” She pushes her hand up against the runic circle.

There’s suddenly a huge  _ weight  _ of power that Byleth nearly stumbles on. In a blink of an eye she finds herself back outside the gates of Remire, the bandit leader charging Edelgard with a roar.

Byleth pushes Claude aside and rushes to meet the axe-wielder, locking her blade with his as she steps in front of Edelgard. With barely an exertion of effort she wrenches his axe from his hands, and then sends him flying through the air, landing in the dirt unmoving.

“Are you alright?” She asks Edelgard, sheathing her sword and brushing her bangs out of her eyes.

“I...yes, yes I am,” There’s something in the girl’s gaze, awe and something else Byleth can’t quite decipher. “Thank you for saving me.”

Byleth gives her a small smile and pats her on the shoulder. “It’s nothing. Maybe keep a better handle on your axe next time, yeah?”

Edelgard blinks at her.

“Leth, you okay, kid?” Gaius is suddenly right next to her, eyes roving over her form, looking for injuries. Meanwhile, Claude and Dimitri have rejoined Edelgard, talking quietly to each other.

“M’fine, uncle Gaius,” She pats him on the shoulder. “No injuries. Promise.”

“CAPTAIN JERALT? Is that you?!”

The sudden booming voice echoes through the otherwise quiet aftermath of the battle. Byleth turns to find her dad, still holding onto Cain’s reins, looking exasperated as he talks to a brown-haired knight in gleaming white-silver armor. There’s a few other knights in the same armor walking around the battlefield, tying up any bandit survivors.

“Hey, it’s Alois,” Claude says cheerfully. “A bit late, huh?”

“Better late than never, I suppose,” Dimitri says. 

“C’mon, Leth, let’s go rescue your dad,” Gaius slings an arm around Byleth’s shoulders. “Hey, kiddos!” He snaps his fingers at their charges. “Stay close, just in case there are any bandits left hiding in the bushes! C’mon!”

As the three scramble to meet them as Byleth and Gaius turn to make their way to her dad, the mercenary suddenly feels something  _ pop _ in her head and she feels herself stumble over nothing.

“Hey, Leth-“ Gaius’ voice is faint in her ears as her vision swims, and then she goes down like a bag of rocks. “BOSS MAN!”

“ _ Oh dear _ ,” She hears, just faintly in her ears, and then she knows no more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i will not apologize for all the gaius in this chapter. i love him mom -
> 
> Please continue to support this series with your comments and kudos! It helps me out a lot. Seriously. I love you all, and see you in a week~


	3. to the monastery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's Thursday - you know what that means! It's update time. I sincerely hope you all enjoy this chapter: I threw in a few subtle hints towards our future. 
> 
> You should really be noticing some key differences from how the game starts here in this chapter. That's all - enjoy!

Byleth wakes slowly, in increments.

The first thing she notices is that her headache is finally, blissfully, gone. The second is that whatever she’s laying on is rocking backing and forth, almost soothingly. Then the voices hit her, low murmuring, and farther beyond that the dull pattern of conversation. Finally the scent of evergreen hits her nostrils, pleasant and refreshing.

She opens her eyes.

She’s laying in the back of Clife’s wagon, just like her dad had said she could. She’s absolutely swaddled in blankets, and her weapons are strapped down to one of the crates stacked in the back of the wagon.

Sitting next to her, staring out through the open back flap of the wagon, is Panne.

Byleth swallows and opens her mouth. “Aunt ‘anne?” is all she manages, her throat sore and dry.

She whirls around, dark eyes settling on her. She looks worried. “Byleth,” Panne says, reaching out to put a hand in her hair. “You’ve been out for a day. How are you feeling?”

“Thirsty,” Byleth admits, and accepts the water pouch she passes over to her. “Where are we going? Faerghus?”

Panne shakes her head. “No, not Faerghus. Alois - one of the knights that showed up at the end of the battle, he used to be your dad’s apprentice back when Jeralt was in the Knights of Seiros.”

Her dad has always been tight lipped about his past, but Byleth remembers Gaius mentioning it not too long after the Dagdan trio had first joined Jeralt’s Mercenaries. She nods.

“He convinced Jeralt to return to Garreg Mach Monastery with him, and the whole company decided to go with.”

“So no Faerghus,” Byleth croaks, and struggles to sit up.

“No Faerghus,” Panne agrees, reaching out to help her sit up. “I’m going to go get Gaius to look you over, so just sit there and wait for him.”

Byleth nods. She’s already probably going to get a lecture from her uncle, she doesn’t need to make it more difficult for herself.

The taguel deftly leaps off the back of the wagon, quickly disappearing around the corner. It’s only a minute or so before Gaius’ head peeks over the side and he climbs up into the back with her.

“Well, well, good morning little Leth,” He says with a smirk. “Did you sleep well?”

“Ha ha, very funny Uncle Gaius,” She mutters, raising her head to give him a mock-glare.

“You’ve got good timing as always, kiddo, we’re about an hour away from the monastery,” Gaius tells her, already pulling one of his staves off his back and (lightly) bopping her on the head with it. The minty feel of his magic rushes through her once more, rejuvenating her body.

“Alright, you’re right as rain, so let’s get you outta here so you big ol’ dad can stop sulking and pacing about like a toddler.”

Byleth’s lips twitch at the mention of her dad. She’s never been too sick or injured in her life, so whenever something  _ does _ crop up, he gets all worried over her, a sight all of Jeralt’s Mercenaries call “unbelievably funny”.

Refreshed and renewed, she untangles herself from her blankets, secures her weapons on her body, and ties her hair back out of her face before sliding out the back of the moving wagon.

Panne’s not too far away, near the rear of their traveling band; standing next to her, hand on the blade of his blood-crimson, jagged edged Killing Edge, is her husband, keeping an ever-watchful eye on their surroundings.

Most of the Knights of Seiros are interspersed among the mercenaries, surprisingly chatting and holding pleasant conversation. She catches sight of the three kids near the front, just behind her father and Alois. Claude and Dimitri are having a conversation, but Edelgard appears uninterested, lips pursed in silence.

“Oh, yeah, kiddo,” Gaius grabs her attention. “Apparently Claude, Dimitri, and Edelgard are actually Claude von Riegan, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, and Edelgard von Hresvelg - or Leicester’s next Grand Duke, the heir to the throne of Faerghus, and the Adrestian Imperial Princess, respectively.” Gaius grins. “You were out on the battlefield bossing around royalty! So cute, Leth.”

Byleth doesn’t know what to feel. “The ramifications on this are going to be completely different from Fhirdiad, aren’t they.”

The trickster’s eyes gleam, and he squeezes her shoulder. “Lucky for you, they seem quite taken with you. Now, go on, before your dad has a heart attack.”

Byleth gives him an icy glare, but turns anf starts sliding her way through the mercenaries up to her dad. As she does so, most of them clap her on the shoulder or ruffle her hair.

“Nice to see you up and about, By!”

“Gave us quite the scare there!”

“Thought for sure the captain was gonna murder someone right then and there.”

Finally, Byleth escapes the crowd and pops up next to her dad. Jeralt doesn’t visibly relax, but he looks down at her and wraps an arm around her shoulders.

“Doing okay there, kiddo?”

“Uncle Gaius gave me the all clear,” She reports, peering curiously around her dad’s broad form to Alois.

“Good.”

“So you must be the captain’s child!” The knight booms, apparently unable to contain himself any longer.

“No, I’m a bandit.” The words slip out of her mouth before she can help it, but luckily Alois just bursts into chortling laughter.

“Great sense of humor, this one! Clearly you are of the captain’s blood,” He booms. “Well, I’m excited for you to get to see Garreg Mach! Your father and I had many adventures here together, eh, captain!”

“I’m not your captain anymore,” Her father grouses. The corners of Byleth’s mouth twitch in amusement.

“Nonsense! Your mercenaries call you captain, so I will too... _ captain _ !”

The look on her dad’s face is so pained and unlike him that Byleth can’t help the giggle thst slips free. Alois grins at her even as her father turns his disappointed look on her.

“He has a point-“

“Don’t do it, Byleth.”

“-captain,” She finishes, giving him a smug grin.

“Why do I let Gaius spend so much time with you,” He says, despairing, and Byleth just pats him on the arm.

“Because you couldn’t stop us if you tried.”

It’s then that the treeline breaks, giving Jeralt a break from her and Alois; coming into view now is a bustling town that starts at the foot of a small mountain and then builds upwards towards what atop the mountain must be the monastery. It’s architecture is beautiful and unique in a way different from all the other places Byleth’s been to.

“Wow…”

“A beauty, isn’t she!” Alois puffs up his chest. “We take great care of her, make her sparkle!”

“Garreg Mach Monastery…” Her dad’s voice is filled with love, longing, and hurt all at once. “It’s been a long time.”

“Nearly twenty-six years, right, captain?” Alois says, and Byleth feels a veil of shock run through her.

“Twenty-six-“ She starts, but her dad puts a hand on her arm and leans in to whisper in her ear.

“Not now, kid. Later, I promise.”

That’s  _ ominous _ , but Byleth nods, hiding her little frown and turning her attention back to the view in front of her.

The town - also named Garreg Mach - is bustling as they pass through it. The townspeople call out jovial greetings to the Knights, some even waving them down to pass gifts or tokens of appreciation. Despite how swiftly Alois is moving them through the main town road, Byleth keeps an eye for certain shops and stalls - as soon as she gets a chance, she’ll drag Gaius and Panne back down to the marketplace for some shopping.

Finally, they pass through the town onto a set of gates built into the wall that surrounds the monastery, nearly ten feet high.

“Welcome back Alois!” The knights stationed atop the gate yell down, and her dad’s old apprentice waves back at them as they step through the gates, and into the monastery proper.

Just inside the gates, and before what looks like the monastery’s proper entrance hall, is a smaller marketplace that looks more geared towards combat - Byleth spies a weapons shop, an items shop, a blacksmith, and what even appears to be some soft of mercenary-hiring guild.

“Captain,” Alois says. “My knights will get your men settled in the barracks - I’ve sent word ahead to Lady Rhea, and she wants to see you and Byleth immediately!”

“Rhea…we’ll make our way to the audience chamber. Lon’qu!”

“Captain?” The swordmaster appears next to them, hand still on his blade. 

“The knights are giving us room in the barracks - make sure everyone complies and doesn’t get stab-happy.”

Byleth snorts in reminder of  _ that _ ; a faint smile even appears on Lon’qu’s lips before it’s gone. “Yes, captain.”

“And tell Gaius to mind his sticky fingers.”

“Boss man, you’re no fun,” The trickster in question pouts, appearing from within the crowd, Panne right behind him. “How am I supposed to entertain myself?”

“You’re not,” Byleth, Jeralt, Lon’qu, and Panne say in unison.

“Cruel, all of you…”

“Do not worry, Jeralt,” Panne says, holding herself firm and tall. “My husband and I will make sure our resident trickster does not get us kicked out.”

“This is slander, slander I tell you- _ hey, _ Panne!”

The sight of the taguel grabbing Gaius by the collar and dragging him off behind Alois’ squad of knights is  _ glorious _ .

“Captain,” Lon’qu nods at Jeralt, then Byleth, and follows his wife and friend.

It’s at that moment that the three nobles pop up next to them. “Byleth,” Claude says, smile easy on his face but not quite reaching his eyes. “It’s a shame we didn’t get to talk on the road, huh?”

...what is she supposed to say to that? “I...suppose so.”

Dimitri looks at her with wide blue, blue eyes. “I would enjoy the chance to speak with you again before you leave. Perhaps even a training session?” He looks so earnest, it makes Byleth want to ruffle his hair.

“I would enjoy that as well,” Edelgard says. “You are quite skilled with a blade.”

“Come on, you’ve all got places to be!” Alois says. “I’m sure you’ll get to speak to Byleth again. Get back to your classes!”

Dimitri offers her a bow before departing, Edelgard nods regally at her, and Claude grins again as he waves at her until they disappear from sight.

Byleth blinks. “...what just happened?”

“It’s like Fhirdiad all over again,” Jeralt chuckles and wraps an arm around Byleth’s shoulder. “C’mon kid, let’s go see what Lady Rhea wants. Best not to keep her waiting.”

Byleth nods, and lets her dad guide her into the entrance hall.

_**~TBC** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things I Didn't Want To Say Before You Read:  
> -Byleth is older here, yes, I didn't get the dates wrong. The reasonings for this will happen eventually: don't want to give up all the story plot right away!  
> -After reading this chapter, you can tell I'm severely limiting the interaction Byleth has with all three house leaders at the beginning of the story. There's several reasons for this: number one, as I was writing this I felt like I would spoil which route we would be going down as I tried to write the dialogue between Byleth and the house leaders after the battle, so I cut that out and veered around it with more plot. Number two, it never made sense to me that Byleth, as stoic and raised as she was, would spend the whole journey back talking with three relatively unknown people in lieu of her father or the other mercenaries. (I know, game plot, but still)
> 
> Anyways, that's it! Thank you for the support you've shown on this fic so far - it continues to mean so much to me. I, hopefully, look forward to seeing new comments and perhaps kudos in the coming days. Until next time.


	4. the third professor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byleth meets the Archbishop, Lady Rhea, and several other staff members of the monastery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello hello! I'm sorry it took me so long to update. Life, you know? And then I changed my mind about a plot point later on and had to edit some things...but here we are, finally. Yay!
> 
> There's not too much I can say without spoiling one of the reveals of this chapter, so with that...enjoy!

“It’s been twenty minutes. I’m  _ hungry _ .”

Jeralt’s whole expression is amused as he looks over at her. “She’s the archbishop, kid. Apparently we’re not at the top of the priority list.”

“Alois said  _ immediately _ . Since when is twenty minutes  _ immediately _ ?”

“What are you, five?”

Byleth opens her mouth to respond, but snaps it closed as the side doors swing open, admitting the green-haired archbishop and a green-haired male two steps behind her.

Her first thought is  _ damn that crown looks heavy _ . Her second is  _ that guy’s frown is more severe than dad’s! _

“Jeralt Eisner, the Blade Breaker,” The severe-looking man says. “It’s a... _ pleasure _ to meet you at last. I am Seteth, advisor to the Archbishop.”

“Right,” Her dad says. “Hello.”

“Jeralt,” Archbishop Rhea says, a soft smile spreading across her face. “It is wonderful to see you again after so long.”

“Yes, please...forgive my silence all these years. Much has happened since we last spoke.”

“So I see,” The archbishop’s smile turns to Byleth now, and she has the sudden urge to confess every theft she’s ever committed under Gaius’ tutelage. “It seems the gift of fatherhood has blessed you. This is your child, is it not?”

“Yes,” Her dad’s hand lands on her shoulder. “Born many years after I left this place. I wish I could introduce you to her mother, but we...we lost her.”

“My deepest condolences,” The Archbishop says while Byleth’s trying to mentally unweave the mess of knots her father’s created with his lies. “And you, child? What is your name?”

“...Green,” She blurts out, and then immediately blushes. “Sorry! Sorry. It’s Byleth. My name is Byleth.”

“Are you trying to waste the archbishop’s time, child?” Seteth says, voice cold as ice, and something in Byleth  _ snaps _ .

“No, but you made me nervous, standing there glaring at us, and I don’t get nervous!” She says, and then immediately absolutely  _ does not cower  _ behind her dad.

Rhea laughs, a little, breathy laugh. “It is alright, child. Byleth. A fine name indeed.” She folds her hands together and turns her attention back to Jeralt. “Jeralt, you already know what it is I have to ask, do you not?”

Her dad sighs and runs a hand through his bangs. Byleth briefly considers asking Gaius to revisit the plan to cut his little rattail off. “You want me to rejoin the Knights of Seiros, do you not? I won’t say no, but…”

“Your apprehension stings. I imagine Alois would have already brought it up.”

“Wait, we’re staying?” Byleth asks, eyes wide. “Does that mean Lon’qu’s going to take over as captain of the mercenaries?”

“What,” Her dad says, smiling a little. “You think you could do better?”

“I didn’t say that, c’mon dad-“

The Archbishop is watching them, a fond look on her face. “Actually, Byleth, I had a proposition for you as well. It appears during the scuffle with the bandits, when you rescued our students, one of our professors ran off. So now we are short one professor, and need to fill the spot.”

“Students?” Byleth turns her head towards her dad.

“There’s an Officers Academy here,” Jeralt nods. “Arguably the best in Fòdlan, depending who you ask.”

“Rh-Archbishop!” Seteth interrupts. “You cannot be serious! You would invite a  _ child _ to be one of our professors! One with no education, or experience teaching! I cannot condone this decision.”

“ _ Hey _ ,” Jeralt says. “I made damn sure Leth was well educated. Paid for tutors out of my own damn pocket at every city we stopped at.”

Rhea’s eyes twinkle.

“And, actually,” Byleth steps out from behind her dad. “I do have experience teaching?”

Seteth’s eyes swivel over to her. “Oh?” He says pointedly.

Byleth looks at her dad. He nods. She reaches for her bag and pulls free a slim manila folder, holding it out.

“I spent five years at the Royal School of Sorcery in Fhirdiad - one as a student, two as a teacher’s assistant, and two more as a full professor.”

Seteth’s expression is  _ beautiful _ . Rhea, meanwhile, looks supremely satisfied.

“The Royal School of Sorcery is well known for the quality of their education,” She says smoothly, taking the file from Byleth and then forcefully passing it over to Seteth. He accepts it, apparently still too shocked to do much else. “If I may inquire, what is your specialization?”

“I taught Faith, White Magic, at the School,” Byleth answers. “I know my way around Reason as well, of course, but I prefer my swords and bows. One of my uncles taught me my Faith.”

Something odd flashes across Rhea’s face but it’s gone too quickly for Byleth to decipher. “Well, Seteth?” She prompts. “Do you have any lingering concerns?”

Seteth closes her resume, face tight, and passes it back. “I...do not.”

“Well then,” Rhea clasps her hands together and turns her smile back to Byleth. “May I formally offer you the position of house professor at Garreg Mach Officers’ Academy?”

Byleth looks at her dad. His face is unreadable, but he’s already stuck here, and she doesn’t want to leave him… “It would be my pleasure to accept, Archbishop.”

“Wonderful!” Rhea beams at them. “Jeralt, do you remember where the faculty room is?”

“I do.”

“Would you guide your daughter there, then, on your way to the captain’s quarters, to meet the other two House professors?”

“Of course,” Her dad says, offering the Archbishop a bow. Byleth follows suit, shoving her resume back into her bag. “If you’ll excuse us, Lady Rhea?”

She smiles at them once more, and waves her hand towards the doors. They creak open. “I look forward to your time among our staff,” She says. “I shall see both of you tomorrow.”

Her dad puts his hand back on her shoulder and carefully guides her out of the audience chamber.

They walk in silence out through the doors, and ir’s only when they thud shut behind him that Jeralt sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Dammit. Dammit, dammit, dammit…”

“Dad?” Byleth asks, eyes wide as they stand in the empty hall. 

“Not now, kid, I’m sorry. The walls have ears.”

Well, she’s used to that. “Are you...mad at me for taking the position?”

Jeralt’s whole face softens, and to her surprise, her dad pulls her in for a tight hug, tucking her head under his chin. “No, Leth. I’m happy you’re staying where I can see you. And I know how much you love teaching.”

Byleth blinks, and then tentatively hugs her dad back. “Well I wasn’t going to leave you alone, old man.”

Jeralt sighs as he releases her. “You get more and more like your uncles every day. C’mon kid, it’s this way.”

They walk down a hallway with six doors, five of them bearing plaques and the last one barren. The plaques read, in order,  _ Bishop Seteth, Advisor; Arman Prose, Captain of the Knights; Hanneman von Essar, Head Professor; Manuela Casagranda, Academy Physician & Professor,  _ the next room is blank, and the final plaque reads  _ Academy Faculty Office _ .

“This is your stop, kid,” Jeralt says, squeezing her shoulder as they stand outside the staff office. “I’ve got to find Captain Prose and then catch up with our mercs…”

“Meet for dinner?” Byleth asks.

“See you then, kid,” Her dad gives her one tiny last smile and then disappears back down the hall.

Byleth inhales, knocks on the staff room door, and then opens it open hearing a cheery, musical voice call “Come innn~”

The inside of the room is done in soft purples and whites, with several plants lining a windowsill that warm sunshine streams through. Shelves lined with books and file-folders take up most of the wall space, although there’s one corner with a small table that holds a full tea set and several tins that are probably full of snacks. 

In the middle of the room, seated at a large, round table covered in files and papers, are a man and a woman; the other two professors, Byleth assumes.

“Ah, hello dear,” The brown-haired woman says, warm eyes glinting. “Are you a new student? I didn’t know we were accepting such late applications!”

Byleth blinks. Does she...really look  _ that _ young? “No...my name is Byleth Eisner. I’ve been hired as the third house professor for the Officers Academy.”

“Oh, my apologies!” The woman stands up, bosom heaving in her skimpy dress, coat slipping off her shoulders. “I’m Manuela Casagranda, house professor and the Academy’s physician,” She offers Byleth her hand. “It’s a delight to meet you.”

“Eisner, you say?” The other professor looks to be the oldest of the three, with grey hair and a monocle set in one eye. “Any relation to Jeralt the Blade Breaker? Former Captain of the Knights of Seiros?”

Byleth feels her eye twitch as she shakes Manuela’s hand. “He’s my dad, yes.”

“Fascinating!” He says, looking delighted. “I wonder if you bear the same Crest as your father? His is quite rare, you know!”

“So I’ve heard,” Byleth agrees, placing her bag down next to the only empty chair. “And I do have a Crest, yes, but no one’s been able to tell me which one it is.”

“A mystery! You have me intrigued. Perhaps after the staff meeting, we could-“

“Hanneman,” Manuela interrupts, a thin layer of ice covering her voice. “I do hope you plan to introduce yourself to our new colleague at some point, and not just sit around blabbing on about Crests!”

“Ah! Quite right, Manuela. My apologies, Byleth,” He stands up, and offers her a showy bow. “I am Hanneman von Essar, Crest Scholar and the Academy’s Head Professor. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

Barely five minutes and already Byleth can tell that her fellow professors are quite...unique. Not that that’s anything new - she experienced the same thing with several of her colleagues at the School of Sorcery.

“So, Byleth,” Manuela says as they all sit down again. “Hanneman and I thought we’d let you pick which House you want to lead-oh dear,” She says as the mercenary tilts her head in confusion.

“Did Seteth or the Archbishop not fill you in on the Academy’s House system when offering you the job?” Hanneman asks.

“I got the feeling,” Byleth says, a little delicately. “That Seteth was not happy with my hiring.”

“That makes two of us, then,” Manuela titters into her sleeve. “But fine then. Since you really don’t know, I guess Hanneman and I will just have to fill in, eh?” She elbows the Crest Scholar with a grin.

Pointedly ignoring Manuela, Hanneman clears his throat. “As you could probably tell by our positions, there are Three Houses at Garreg Mach Officers’ Academy. The Black Eagle House, who’s House Leader is the Imperial Princess, Edelgard-“

Oh fuck she had  _ forgotten  _ about that: that the three kids she’d ordered around in Remire were the future leaders of Fòdlan.

“-is for students of the Adrestien Empire. The Blue Lions House is for students of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. Their House Leader this year is Prince Dimitri, the heir to the throne. Finally, there is the Golden Deer House, led by Claude von Riegan, the next sovereign duke. Students from the Leicester Alliance belong to that house.”

“Here’s a file of each House and their first-year students,” Manuela passes over a stack of three folders, which Byleth gratefully accepts. “Look over them, maybe take some time to check in on each House’s students. We’ll be declaring which House we’ll lead tomorrow to Rhea and Seteth, so you have some time to make a decision.”

“Alright,” Byleth taps the House files. “Thank you for this. This House system is different from the School of Sorcery…”

Hanneman perks up at that. “You taught at the School? I was a professor there myself, several years ago. We really should find some time to chat, you and I.”

Byleth nods. “I’d like that.”

“Excellent! We’ll reconvene tomorrow then, 11am, in the audience chamber,” Hanneman offers her a small smile. “Welcome to the Officers’ Academy, officially, Professor Eisner. I look forward to the year ahead.”

_**~TBC** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i love seteth but he's kinda a jerk at the beginning...sooooo...
> 
> So yes! Byleth has spent a lot of time in Faerghus and Fhirdiad and was a professor before - honestly I just love Byleth's more professor-y and teaching qualities so, prepare for lots of that. Also Manuela and Hanneman! The Professor Trio is here! (I really love Manuela and Byleth's friendship, so...there's going to be all of that).
> 
> Anyways, see you next time, hopefully sooner! <3

**Author's Note:**

> Gaius, picking a last name as they wander through Fòdlan: Hey I like baking things—
> 
> Speaking of Gaius, here he's a trickster because he was ridiculously magic-blessed on my last run of Awakening.
> 
> Also I could rant for hours about how Byleth deserved a family and an Actual Childhood, so here she gets some of each.
> 
> Comments and kudos fuel my soul - remember, this fic is not going anywhere without your support! Please let me know if you want to see it continued.
> 
> Until next time~


End file.
